Birthday Dining at The Cedar Court Grand, York

Seeing as The Cedar Court Grand is based in my beautiful hometown of York, England, this post tells the story more of a culinary adventure than a travel adventure. With a weakness for 5* luxury and my birthday looming around the corner, I decided it was the perfect excuse to seek out a gastronomic experience at The Cedar Court Grand. Being the only 5* in York and having heard some excellent things from local friends, I was excited to find out what it had to offer…

The evening started with an obligatory Birthday cocktail in The Grand Bar. Plush furnishings, a roaring fire and a twinkling chandelier made for sumptuous surroundings to kick off my celebrations. After perusing over 40 super refined cocktails, I decided to go for a Strawberry Martini and my mum went for a Basil Grande. The Basil Grande was definitely our favourite (a mixture of fresh strawberry puree, crushed basil, vodka and pepper). Sounds a strange combination but worked perfectly!

After drinks we moved on to The Grill Room, which had all the features that you’d expect from a 5* dining establishment. Crisp white table cloths, sparkling cutlery and decadently high ceilings. Despite being a little quiet, the ambience was lovely and we were met by our sommelier to choose our wine. Before we even began with our starters, we were brought out a complimentary entrée of a Warm Cream of Pea soup with an All Butter Pastry Stick.

Ever since experiencing Big Easy on the Kings Road, I have a new found obsession for lobster! So for starters, I went for the Shellfish Bisque with Poached Lobster and Vegetable Spaghetti. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but the delicately poached lobster fell apart at the fork and cooked in a warming tomato broth.

I’m not really big on steaks and have never ever ordered one in a restaurant. So I don’t know exaclty what came over me when it came to my choice of mains. But miraculously I decided to order the Sirloin Steak – and I’m glad I did. After some encouragement from the waitress, I manned up and went for medium-rare with peppercorn sauce and it was a delight! The steak was exactly as steaks should be, lean tender and juicy. And I was a massive fan of the jenga-stacked chips too.

Of course, seeing as Birthdays are the one opportunity where you can order a dessert in a restaurant absolutely guilt-free, I decided to abuse the situation and go for the Poached Pear & Hazelnut with Pear Sorbet, Poire William Cream, Jaconde Sponge. Wow! The desert came scattered on a glass dish with all the different components scattered around the plate in an ultra chic but messy manner. Each mouthful was different.

Having sufficiently satisfied my more discerning tastebuds, I sat back to digest my meal when all of a sudden glowing candles came from the corner of my eye. A second – I repeat SECOND – Birthday dessert was brought out for me as a surprise! (I’m still not sure whether this was meticulous attention to detail or blogger perks, but I wasn’t complaining). The playful platter included 3 contemporary mini tasting deserts including a mini glass bottle and straw with strawberries and cream inside. How cute!

The deliciously indulgent meal and the 5* service made my Birthday an incredible treat. I felt truly spoilt and will make sure I don’t have to wait til my next Birthday to return!

The Travelista is an award-winning UK luxury travel blog from Yorkshire via The World. Based in Leeds but frequently travelling, Jess loves to combine local and global adventures. All posts that are packed with advice and recommendations to help you plan your own trips.